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Sitting at a small conference table, all eyes were trained on the TV screen as nominees were virtually named for the 2025 Pulitzer Prize. Like sports fans waiting for a big score, we all anxiously listened and watched with bated breath as the nominees were listed.
Among those nominated was Philadelphia-born author Ayana T. Hardaway Ph.D., who recently published a biography entitled, From Crack Mother to Wildflower, Writing to Transgress: The Sankofa Writing Method.
The room cheered as the scholar and storyteller’s name was announced on the livestream. After a brief delay for suspense, the winner was named…
Unfortunately, it wasn’t Dr. Hardaway. However, the response after the brief disappointment was more heartwarming than winning an award.
Like a village, the room began to erupt in heartfelt applause as family members and close friends congratulated the self-published author for being nominated for the prestigious award and confirmed that next year was yet another opportunity.
Her phone began to buzz with notifications from her friends, family, and supporters showing her love. Even her loving husband phoned in from San Diego, where the couple currently lives, to pour into her with words of upliftment and encouragement.
After taking in the moment to reflect with intention, the scholar kindly suggested, “Let’s eat.”
As everyone grabbed a plate of soul food, the room began to fill with joy and optimism— a true testament to the power of a strong village (and good food). It was once again proof, that even when the world says “no” our tribe is there to get us back on our feet. Even in adversity and disappointment, we rise with joy and intention.
The Inspiration Behind The Book
Inspired by Black women literary scholars such as bell hooks, Toni Morrison, Octavia E. Butler, and Alice Walker, Dr. Hardaway used her M.Ed. and Ph.D. in Urban Education to write From Crack Mother to Wildflower, Writing to Transgress: The Sankofa Writing Method (Buy On Amazon).
Using her research, which includes Black feminism, critical qualitative inquiry, and the sociology of higher education, Dr. Hardaway’s book explores the pivotal role of community and kinship care during the cocaine epidemic in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s.
The topic remains near and dear to her heart, as her mother was a victim of the era, which also perpetrated the ‘Bad Black Crack Mother’ and ‘Crack Baby’ stereotypes by the media.
“It’s using creative expression to heal,” the Temple University grad expressed to BrownStyle Magazine exclusively, noting the book features both storytelling and poems.
Much like the village in the room during the Pulitzer Watch Party, Dr. Hardaway says that her family and community were pivotal in navigating her childhood.
“Family is my center,” she mentions. “I talked a little bit about the book and all these things, but in the end, family has always been my center.”
She adds, “I was raised by my grandparents in a village, and I was always with family. I had a beautiful opportunity to be exposed to intergenerational dialog. I learned so much sitting at the feet of my elders. So family is very important to me, and I really try to make sure that I keep that as my sensor as I navigate this world.”
Dr. Hardaway says that she loves being able to include her family in everything she does, no matter what it is. “If my family is not invited, then I’m not invited,” she firmly states with a chuckle.
With her beautiful daughters close by her side, the proud mom continued sharing that she wrote her book to not only historicize the era from the perspective of the children who were among the first to witness their parents’ struggles with crack cocaine addiction but also an ode to her late mother.
Using The Sankofa Writing Method, a Black speculative and Afrofuturist writing methodology, From Crack Mother to Wildflower, Writing to Transgress serves as a blueprint for remembering, recovering, and moving forward in healing.
“I use a lot of speculative writing to think about how I can reimagine my mother’s life,” she explains about the writing method. “Creating space on the pages when we were unable to have it in the physical sense was really powerful and exciting work.”
As she mentioned via her website, “It was a way to reclaim and reimagine the voices of Black mothers, daughters, and sisters while showcasing the transformative power of writing and narrative reconstruction and reclamation.”
In the end, the nomination wasn’t just a nod from the Pulitzer committee—it was a celebration of voice, legacy, and love. Dr. Ayana T. Hardaway may not have walked away with the prize that day, but she walked away with the unwavering embrace of her village and a growing audience ready to hear her truth.
As plates were cleared and laughter filled the room, one thing became clear: Dr. Hardaway already won. Not just for herself, but for the mothers, the daughters, and every wildflower who bloomed through the cracks.
To learn about Dr. Hardaway, visit ayanathardaway.com.
Editor’s Note: This story has been edited and condensed for clarity.
By BrownStyle Magazine in Special Editions
72 pages, published 1/17/2025
